Varsity Blues (1999)

This MTV-produced drama only looks like an adaptation of H.G. Bissinger's expert dissertation of the church of high school football, Friday Night Lights. The energetic, breezy movie has none of the seriousness of Bissinger's book except on its basic level: in West Texas, high school football is life. Into this world comes Jonathan "Mox" Moxon (James Van Der Beek), a brainy, uncharacteristic jock who sits on the sideline reading Slaughterhouse Five until the West Caanan High School Coyotes All-Texas QB goes down with an injury. Suddenly the spotlight and the tyrannical ways of coach Bud Kilmer (another ace evil turn by Jon Voight) are on Mox and the light is white-hot. There have been several films that show tough, honest kids doing their best against the worst of small-town coaches (Tom Cruise in All the Right Moves, for one) but Varsity Blues, in its glossy style, takes a more curious turn: studying what happens when celebrity comes to the well-adjusted high schooler. Mox starts seeing the rewards of stardom: a six-pack under the counter, acceptance in school, even easy sex from the girl who goes after the starting quarterback (Ali Larter). Will Mox win the big game? Will he bend to the wills of his coach? Will he stay with his old girlfriend? The questions are easy enough to answer, but the film has an ace up its sleeve: Van Der Beek has the stuff to carry the movie. Fans of TV's Dawson's Creek will see a slightly grittier dreamboat here, and Van Der Beek's care with the role makes the most ludicrous parts--including a trip to a strip club--manage a certain aura. --Doug Thomas Amazon.com

 "Let's Be Heroes"
The '99 film `Varsity Blues' is definitely one of the best high school coming of age-teen angst-sports films within the genre. There are plenty of good ole boy hysteronics and football action to keep the male audience focused, a couple of pretty girls and of course James Van Der Beek and Paul Walker to keep the girls involved. The two keys to this film that set it above other films of this nature is the performance of Jon Voight as the thoroughly unlikable Coach Bud Kilmer and Ron Lester as the big, soft-hearted lineman Billy Bob. If you're looking for something enjoyable and undemanding you could do a lot worse. May 4, 2008

 The hot for teacher song scene is fun
really not a great showing of what texas high school football is about. But how would I know I only played there, coached there, played college ball there and then played pro baseball in that state but what would I know I just escaped from Taurine and I am trapped inside amazon's website being forced to watch ridiculous nonsense. It is a cool movie if you are a senior in high school but it is so fictional it is funny. Friday night lights is so much better, but if you watch a movie like Gladiator with Russ Crowe then you really get a feel for what it is like to get kicked in the head and eat dirt at the same time. July 27, 2007

 fun and true
Okay, this is not a deep thought provoking documentary; it is, however, an uncannily accurate depiction of small town life in general and small town football in particular. Of course there are the riotous moments of teen insanity specifically unique to small towns (have you ever played quarters with a pet pig in your vicinity?) and Tweeder stealing the police car is just classic, no matter where you are from. Underneath the comedy, though, there is a lot of truth to these characters and this story. Football is a small town religion, and every Friday night is a worship service at the altar of the pigskin. The movie captures this feeling well, along with the frustration of feeling trapped in a small town and wondering if you will ever get out -- and if you do get out, where will you go? Nevermind that Van der Beek's accent is not terribly authentic, or that this ***spoiler alert*** has a somewhat sappy ending. If you grew up in a small town, you can probably put a name on each of these characters; if you didn't, get the movie and find out what it's like. September 8, 2006

 "Good Moooning, Good Mooning, Good Mooning"
The movie is based on a "piece" of everyone's life, in some small way, who have ever played football. Does it matter that HS kids get in a strip club and drink till 6:00am ? "NO" Does it matter that Hoss is sitting on a tailgate, drinking Jack like its water ... and shooting a shotgun, with the HS Football Field lights on ? "NOOOOO" !!!!

It is "Rocky" + "Friday Night Lights" + "Rudy" + "Stand By Me" = Varisty Blues.

If you played football, or ever hung out with the guys after a game, or ever LAUGHED at the guys who couldn't leave HS even after they graduated 9 years ago ... Then buy the movie, its worth it, and the soundtrack ROCKS !!!! July 10, 2006

 Great Football Movie
This is by far my favorite movie about football. It is about football players playing in a small town where the dads wished they were still playing and the coach is mean son of a gun that has to get his way. It is very entertaining and and has some funny parts and some serious ones too. BillyBob and Tweeder provide tons of laughs in this movie. James Van Der Beek does a good job in this movie as the backup quarterback that becomes the star starting quarterback when the starter gets hurt. Jon Voigt also does a good job in this movie playing the mean coach. All in all this movie was extremely good with some great football action and some very funny moments. November 13, 2005

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